Government
Conflicting views on vinyl chloride coalesce Industry decries OSHA's no-detectable level rule as unnecessarily harsh; both labor and ACS support proposed standard Mere mentioning of the words vinyl chloride to Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials who presided over public hearings on the agency's proposed permanent work place standard for the chemical may well lead to mutterings that enough is enough. In nine days, the officials lis tened to 35 hours of direct testimony by 44 panels of witnesses—and many additional hours in question and an swer sessions—and received 89 written submissions for the hearing record. Much of the data presented OSHA is conflicting. All this is of little comfort to the officials as OSHA has until Oct. 5 to come up with its final version of a permanent standard. It's likely that OSHA may well pick some middle ground standard—tougher than that proposed by industry, softer than that initially proposed by the Government—which, if either labor or industry is unhappy about it, may well be challenged in the courts anyway. Data presented at the hearings tend ed to coalesce, in effect, into two posi tions: that of industry and that of Gov ernment-labor-ACS. For instance, a spokesman for the Society of the Plas tics Industry maintained that OSHA's proposed work-place standard—which, among other things, calls for a no-de tectable level of vinyl chloride—"is not technologically feasible and, if adopt ed, would shut down the industry." In contrast, Peter Bommarito, president of the United Rubber Workers, said that the "OSHA proposal comes closer to the ideal standard than any yet pro posed or promulgated for any work place hazard." However, Dr. Daniel P. Boyd, direc tor of the office of standards develop ment for OSHA, although emphasizing that the proposed standard is just that—a proposal—said that "it repre sents our best judgment based on the information available on May 10 . . . our present judgment is that vinyl chloride is a carcinogenic agent." Dr. Boyd pointed out that in protecting employees from a carcinogenic material, "We are operating in the area of many unknowns.
For example, we do not know the mecha nism by which a chemical carcinogen operates or whether a safe level of ex posure can be set." Much of the testi mony presented at the hearing dealt with industry's, labor's, and research workers' effort to resolve the latter question. The initial impetus for the vinyl chloride industry came during World War Π when it was used as a substitute for natural rubber. According to Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, professor of medicine at City University of New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, "This immediately points to a problem of current vinyl chloride-polyvinyl chlo ride investigations; the industry is a relatively young one, and the late ef fects of toxic exposure have only begun to appear; most of our experience is still ahead of us." He told the hearings that clinical field studies are being conducted that include examinations of more than 1200 vinyl chloride-PVC polymerization workers. Although all the results are not yet in, he reported that studies of 354 current and former workers at Goodyear's plant in Niagara Falls, N.Y., "demonstrated a signifi cant prevalence of liver abnormalities, peripheral vascular changes, and lung abnormalities." Information on deaths from two plants, one which produces monomer and the other polymer, was presented by Dr. John M. Peters of the Harvard School of Public Health. He said that studies on 161 deceased white males showed "a 50% excess of deaths due to cancer." There was a "60% excess of lung cancer (13 cases with 7.9 expect ed) and a 320% excess of brain cancer (five cases with 1.2 expected) with the
number of liver cancer cases being 10 times those expected in a similar unex posed population. He stressed that these studies, though preliminary, show that multiple cancer sites are in volved and cancer is increasing over time in the population. Dr. Peters agreed with Dr. Selikoff in that he said, "I do not believe we will know the full cancer-causing potential of vinyl chloride for several years. At this point the only way to assure an end to this serious hazard is to eliminate the exposure. The vinyl chloride-PVC industry, in general, took the opposite view. Harry E. Conners, vice president of Diamond Shamrock Chemical, told the hearings, "In our judgment the cases of worker illness recently discovered in industry are the delayed result of conditions that were common many years ago but are no longer present in today's plants." Dr. Richard W. McBurney, corporate medical director of Diamond Shamrock Chemical, pointed out that "during the early years of PVC produc tion attention was given to vinyl chlo ride vapors only because of the anes thetic qualities and the explosion haz ard. Since the explosion hazard occurs at upward of 30,000 p.p.m. and the an esthetic effect at 1000 to 5000 p.p.m. the vinyl chloride levels in work areas were undoubtedly quite high." Dr. Carl U. Dernehl, associate medi cal director of Union Carbide, told the hearing of a health survey conducted by SPI covering 16 plants employing 2372 persons whose current work per mits exposure to vinyl chloride, plus 471 who had worked with it in the past. He said that the study identified 1402 men who were exposed to vinyl
SPI's vinyl chloride rules would differ sharply from OSHA's OSHA
SPI
• A no-detectable level for employee exposure as determined by a sampling and analytical technique capable of de tecting vinyl chloride concentrations of 1 p.p.m. with an accuracy of 1 p.p.m. ±50%. This would apply to monomer, polymer, and fabricating operations.
• For polyvinyl chloride resin plants, a ceiling of 40 p.p.m. of vinyl chloride this year, 25 p.p.m. in 1975. For vinyl chloride plants, a ceiling of 25 p.p.m. this year, 10 p.p.m. in 1975. PVC fabri cating plants would be excluded from the standard.
• Labeling for regulated areas and vinyl chloride-polyvinyl chloride con tainers with the warning to include the words "cancer suspect agent/'
• Labeling should provide those who need the information with methods for dealing with the problem; it should not be a basis for panic because of a dis ease characterization.
• Use of air-supplied respirators in cases of emergency and when vinyl chloride concentrations rise above de tectable levels.
• Use of air-supplied respirators is im practical except for short periods of time. Air-supplied breathing apparatus also should be allowed.
July 22, 1974 C&EN
9
chloride at least 10 years ago, of which 416 had a latent period of more than 20 years. Also identified were 787 men exposed continuously to vinyl chloride for more than 10 years, with 104 being exposed for more than 20 years. Dr. Dernehl said, "Examinations of these men have failed to show the existence of abnormal liver function tests in greater proportion than would be found in a control population. There is no case of angiosarcoma of the liver among these men even though their exposure time is sufficient for the disease to have occurred and exposures are believed to have been in excess of 50 p.p.m." He concluded that "these data fail to support the need for an exposure level as drastic as that proposed in the standard." The SPI survey's findings were supported by Diamond Shamrock, Dow Chemical, B. F. Goodrich, Tenneco Chemicals, and Firestone. All reported that despite extensive surveys of their current and former vinyl chloride-PVC workers, no further cases of or deaths due to liver cancer have been found, other than the 13 previously reported to OSHA. Industry also felt that the proposed standard was too far-reaching. According to Anton Vittone, president of B. F. Goodrich Chemical, "The production of vinyl chloride, its polymerization into PVC resin, and the processing of PVC resin into semifinished or finished products is treated in the proposed standard as one industrial health problem." However, he contended, "Each is an entirely different operation posing its own problems, permitting and requiring different solutions." Of particular concern to many industry witnesses was the inclusion of PVC processors and fabricators, such as phonograph record makers, under the proposed standard. Monitoring data on vinyl chloride exposure in processing plants were presented by several witnesses, including Philip J. Weaver, director of industrial affairs for B. F. Goodrich. In a conclusion that agreed with those of other witnesses, he said, "Our data does not support this concept of inclusion of processor operations" under the proposed standard since "we find no detectable levels of vinyl chloride in most of the processing workplaces." In addition to urging that fabricators and processors not be included under the permanent standard, the Society of the Plastics Industry proposed that in vinyl chloride and PVC plants there be a stepped reduction in worker exposure. This is in sharp contrast to the American Chemical Society position presented at the hearings by Dr. Stephen T. Quigley, head of the Society's department of chemistry and public affairs, and Howard H. Fawcett, chairman of the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety. ACS, in essence, supports the OSHA proposed standard, asking 10
C&EN July 22, 1974
centrations ranging from 1 p.p.m. to more than 30% by volume in air. He said laboratory results show that 100% removal of vinyl chloride from air or nitrogen streams is technically possible using dual beds. Earlier in the hearing Tenneco Chemicals testified that it has included carbon adsorption to recover the monomer from two small process streams, neither of which contains air, in plans for its new PVC plant in Pasadena, Tex. However, it pointed out that it considers this activated carbon method to be "wholly impractical" where large volumes of air and small concentrations of vinyl chloride are involved. PVC fabricators should not be included Mr. Bommarito expressed the belief under the exposure standard, SPI urges that the standard can be met, saying that where "engineering controls may only that the standard be defined as a not be applicable, personal protective minimum practical level capable of de- equipment can be used." He added tection by a recommended method that especially in newer plants the problem is "characterized by the will, rather than as a no-detectable level. SPI's proposed standard drew sharp not the ability, to do the job." He concriticism from Anthony Mazzocchi, cluded that "the medical facts are in citizenship-legislative director of the and the problem is now in the social Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers In- and political arena." ternational Union. He said, "It will be a tragedy if OSHA adopts the so-called 'common denominator' kind of standard that SPI sponsored. Under this approach a standard is adopted that everybody can meet. But those plants that can go further are under no incentive, at that time, to do anything more." U.S. reactor design has lost out in its Most companies at the hearing said bid for the next generation of nuclear that although it would be difficult, power stations in the U.K. The British they could live with SPI's proposed government has opted instead for the standard. Two companies, however, re- steam-generating heavy-water reactor ported that they are already operating (SGHWR) system. The immediate at much lower levels. Dr. V. K. Rowe, plan is to build three twin-reactor staDow director of toxicological research tions with an overall capacity of about in health and environmental affairs, 4000 Mw. of electricity. The first of said that the company, "is generally these stations should be operating by operating within an eight-hour time- 1982. weighted average (TWA) concentration The decision, taken by Eric Varley, of 10 p.p.m.; however, brief malfunc- U.K. Secretary of State for Energy, tions and other temporary situations bucks the trend in other countries, occasionally result in short-term excur- where planned nuclear power programs sions in excess of 10 p.p.m." And Air center on U.S. designs for light-water Products and Chemicals' John T. Barr reactor (LWR) systems, either General reported that his company has an Electric's boiling-water reactor (BWR) eight-hour TWA in the 20- to 25-p.p.m. or Westinghouse's pressurized-water range for workers in its polymerization reactor (PWR). Indeed, at public hearbuilding and even lower levels for those ings before the Energy Resources Subin other job locations. Tenneco Chemi- committee of the House of Commons cals, however, estimated that it would Select Committee on Science and have to spend in excess of $10 million Technology last December, both Arto reach the exposure levels recom- thur Hawkins, chairman of the Central mended by SPI. Electricity Generating Board, which Vinyl chloride-PVC industry wit- supplies power to England and Wales, nesses contended throughout the hear- and Sir Arnold Weinstock, managing ings that meeting the proposed stan- director of British General Electric, dard was just not technologically which has a 50% stake in U.K. Nationfeasible, unless workers wore air-sup- al Nuclear Corp., came out strongly in plied respiratory equipment all the favor of LWR's, primarily because the time. However, Calgon Corp., which technology is already proven and can was moved from 20th to last on the be fairly quickly brought into operation witness list, declared that technology without major design and development was available to remove vinyl chloride effort (C&EN, Feb. 18, page 11). from the air. William Lovett of the Mr. Varley cites a number of reasons company's activated carbon division for deciding on the SGHWR route. "In said that the monomer can readily be the government's judgment, it will proadsorbed on activated carbon in con- vide power reliably and we can proceed
International
U.S. reactor design loses out in U.K.
